These Chipotle Beef Burrito Bowls are a more flavorful copycat of your favorite Chipotle burrito bowl. Tender and flavorful shredded beef served over fluffy cilantro-lime rice with all your favorite toppings.

Burrito bowls are perfect for meal prep! They’re healthy, customizable, delicious, and so perfect for a weeknight dinner for the whole family.

Chipotle Beef Burrito Bowls

You know how much I love a bowl dinner, but burrito bowls are my favorite way to meal prep for the week. The smoky chipotle beef barbacoa is so flavorful and perfect for layering into tacos and burrito bowls all week long.

Chipotle beef burrito bowls are so easy to customize with your favorite ingredients–perfect for picky eaters! Prep all the ingredients in advance and just heat them up for a quick lunch or dinner.

While I prefer to make the shredded beef in the oven, I’ve got instructions for the slow-cooker, making this recipe even easier for busy weeknights.

When you’re in the market for a healthy weeknight dinner, these chipotle beef burrito bowls are perfect!

How to Make Chipotle Beef Burrito Bowls

I always turn to my trusty dutch oven for this recipe (linked below), but you can also make the shredded beef in a slow cooker.

Tools Needed

• 5 QT Dutch Oven or Slow Cooker
• Sharp Knife
• Cutting Board

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Beef chuck. Look for a well-marbled beef chuck roast for this recipe.
• Onion. I typically opt for yellow onion, but any onion will work.
• Chipotle. Canned chipotle chilies, plus the adobo sauce that they sit in give the beef a nice smoky flavor.
• Fire roasted tomatoes. You could use diced tomatoes here, but the fire roasted tomatoes add extra flavor.
• Spices. Ancho chile powder, cumin, and oregano add classic Mexican flavors to the shredded beef.
• Beef broth. Homemade is best here, but any store bought beef broth will also work.
• Bay leaves. I always shoot for using fresh bay leaves, but dried will work too.

The Process

1. Prep and sear the beef. Cut the beef into 2-3 inch cubes and season all over with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a 5 qt dutch oven over medium heat. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add the beef in a single layer to the pot and brown on all sides–you may need to do this in batches. Transfer to the beef to a plate.
2. Saute the onions. After searing all the beef, add the onions to the pot and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and spices and cook for another minute. Stir in the minced chipotle peppers and fire roasted tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Add in the broth and bay leaves and bring to a simmer.
3. Braise the beef in the oven. Add the beef back to the pot and season the broth with salt and pepper. Stir well and cover. Transfer to the oven and braise for 3-3 1/2 hours, until the beef is tender and easily shredded. Let the beef rest in the juices for 20 minutes before shredding and seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Prep the bowl ingredients. Add the oil to a skillet over medium heat and saute the sliced peppers and onion until softened. Stir in the cilantro and lime to the rice and season to taste.
5. Assemble the bowls. Add cilantro-lime rice to a bowl and top with the shredded beef, peppers & onions, and black beans. Top as desired with salsa, guacamole, and shredded lettuce.

Stovetop and Slow-Cooker Instructions

I often get requests for slow cooker and pressure cooker instructions for my braising recipes. Can you do it? Yes, but you absolutely lose some flavor. Cooking meat in the oven concentrates the flavor and you lose some of that with other cooking methods. That being said, here are my alternative cooking instructions:

Slow Cooker:  Use another pan or pot to sear the beef before adding it to the slow cooker. Seriously, don’t skip this step because it adds SO much flavor! Saute the onion and garlic in the same pot and then add them to the slow cooker with the beef. Add in the spices, broth, tomatoes, chipotle, and bay leaves and give everything a good stir. Cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 8 hours until the beef is tender and shreds easily. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Stovetop: Instead of transferring the beef to the oven to braise, simply simmer it covered on low heat for 2 hours with all the liquid. Then, crack the lid and continue to simmer until the beef is tender and easily shredded.

The Best Burrito Bowl Toppings

One of the best things about going to Chipotle for a burrito bowl are all the toppings! You can really customize these chipotle beef burrito bowls however you like, but here are my favorite toppings:

• 5-Ingredient Guacamole
• Fresh Corn Salsa
• Pico de Gallo
• Shredded Romaine Lettuce
• Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
• Sour Cream
• White Queso Sauce

However you choose to top these burrito bowls, they’ll be delicious!

Storage Instructions

I rarely ever store my bowl dinner recipes already assembled. In my opinion, the best way to store bowl recipes is to store the chipotle beef burrito bowl ingredients separately and assemble them right before you enjoy them. Then everything tastes completely fresh!

In the Refrigerator: Store any leftover shredded beef in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Store all the components in separate containers.

To Reheat: Reheat the rice, beef, beans, and veggies in the microwave until warmed through. Then, top with different salsas and the shredded lettuce.

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Chipotle Beef Burrito Bowls are one of my favorite weeknight meals! They’re quick and easy while being healthy and packed with flavor. If you do give them a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about & seeing your SMF creations!

More Bowl Dinner Recipes to Try

Tandoori Salmon Bowls
Shrimp Burrito Bowls
Harissa Chicken Bowls
Salmon Rice Bowls

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